Follow Andy Troncale Memorial Ride on Patch

Ten peace officers will mount their hogs and ride to Colorado Spring, Colo. to see fallen Arcadia firefighter Capt. Andy Troncale honored at the International Association of Firefighters memorial Saturday.

. Doctors determined long-time exposure to carcinogens on the job caused Troncale's disease, making him eligible for a memorial plaque alongside other firefighters who died in the line of duty. 

The riders departed Tuesday at the headquarters, and arrived in St. George, Utah later that evening.

They will ride from Utah to Grand Junction, Colo. on Wednesday and plan arrive in Colorado Springs late Thursday.

The riders will blog intermittently on Patch and share photos of Saturday's ceremony. Check back for more news of their progress.

Though the 1,046-mile ride may be long, organizers say the chance to honor their beloved former colleague makes the journey well worth their while.

Ride coordinator Steve Sinnott worked directly under Troncale, who joined the AFD in 1979 following a brief a stint with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

"He contributed a lot to this department," Sinnott said of Troncale, noting that everyone asked to come along on the ride enthusiastically accepted the invitation. "He had this calm about him."

Though Troncale may have mastered the art of tranquility in the face of life-and-death situations, he nevertheless possessed a playful sense of humor and enjoyed a good practical joke during his downtime, Sinnott said.

Now, Troncale's name will live forever on a plaque at the Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the IAFF headquarters.

The IAFF hosts a ceremony every September to reveal the newly-engraved plaques of firefighters who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Family members of the fallen and firefighters from departments all across North America travel to Colorado Springs to take part in the ceremony.

The ceremony includes a motorcycle/fire apparatus procession staged in two parts. Motorcyclists and fire apparatus will leave the Colorado Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Lakewood, Colo. at 8 a.m. on Saturday to head for Colorado Springs. 

Upon its arrival in Colorado Springs, the procession will proceed to the IAFF Fallen Firefighter Memorial, where the honor ceremony will begin. 

For Sinnott, the chance to take part in the procession and memorial ceremony in honor of Troncale means a lot.

"'m looking forward to it," he said.